System and method of managing communication network-dedicated architecture on a terminal

ABSTRACT

System for managing at least one architecture ( 15, 16, 17, 18 ) of a terminal ( 10 ) dedicated to a communications network ( 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 ). The terminal ( 10 ) includes at least one user interface ( 11 ). Connections to the communications network are set up via a mobile network. The system comprises at least one dedicated architecture manager ( 24 ) integrated into the terminal ( 10 ), adapted to manage at least one architecture dedicated to a communications network and adapted to process simultaneously the operation of the communications networks. This technique enables simultaneous management of access to a plurality of communications networks offering a set of services from a terminal connected to a public mobile network to which the user is a subscriber.

The present invention relates to a system and method for managing on aterminal an architecture dedicated to a communications network.

The invention applies more particularly to the simultaneous managementof access to a plurality of communications networks offering a set ofservices from a terminal connected to a public mobile network to whichthe user is a subscriber.

At present such services are accessible from a terminal connected tomobile telecommunications networks such as General Packet Radio Service(GPRS) networks and Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS)networks.

In these mobile networks, in order to select a communications networkoffering services, it is necessary to select a name identifying saidcommunications network. To set up a connection between a terminal and aparticular communications network, said name is sent via a servicesupport equipment of the mobile network to an equipment managing accessto said communications networks. Coming from the terminal, said nameenables said service support equipment of the mobile network todetermine the access management equipment associated with saididentifying name that offers access to the communications network.

In existing GPRS and UMTS networks, the name identifying acommunications network is called its access point name (APN), theservice support equipment is called the serving GPRS support node(SGSN), and the equipment managing access to the various communicationsnetworks is called the gateway GPRS service node (GGSN).

An APN primarily comprises an identifier corresponding to the selectedcommunications network, an identifier of the carrier or “operator” thatmanages said communications network, and an identifier of the technologyof the mobile network, for example the GPRS technology. The format anduse of an APN are standardized by the European TelecommunicationsStandards Institute (ETSI).

One function of an SGSN is to receive an APN from a terminal and send itto the APN server to which it is connected in order for it to berecognized. Said APN server responds by sending the SGSN a list of theGGSN associated with the APN. One function of said SGSN is to set up aconnection to a GGSN from said list. Said GGSN then sets up theconnection to a communications network corresponding to the APN. TheSGSN and the GGSN are also standardized by the ETSI.

To access a communications network offering a set of services, the userselects an APN on the terminal in order to set up a connection with thecorresponding communications network.

When an APN has been selected on the terminal, an access protocol isstarted up. On a GPRS or UMTS network, this protocol is called thepacket data protocol (PDP). A procedure for setting up the connectionfrom the terminal to the GGSN is executed. A link across the mobilenetwork to the selected communications network is created to enablesetting up of the connection. In a GPRS or UMTS network, this link iscalled the “PDP Context” and provides access from the terminal to allthe services of said communications network.

At the end of this procedure, the terminal receives from thecommunications network with which the connection has been set up anaddress that identifies said terminal within said communications networkand is associated with the PDP context linking the terminal and saidcommunications network.

At present, a terminal manages only one connection to a communicationsnetwork at a time. It receives only one address at a time, associatedwith a PDP Context and coming from a single communications network.

In this configuration, all of the architecture of the terminal isdedicated to the operation of said terminal connected to saidcommunications network.

Each communications network is independent of the other communicationsnetworks and has its own addressing scheme. Because of this, acommunications network A does not know what is being done by acommunications network B. In particular, the communications network Adoes not know to which terminal the communications network B isconnected. Similarly, said communications network A does not know whataddress the communications network B sends in order to identify theconnected terminal.

The ETSI standard provides for a plurality of connections from the sameterminal to different communications networks to be set upsimultaneously.

In this case, said terminal must create a plurality of PDP Contextssimultaneously to set up a connection to a plurality of communicationsnetworks.

An address coming from each of said communications networks foridentifying said terminal is associated with each of these PDP contexts.

On access from the terminal to two communications networks A and B, twoPDP Contexts and the two addresses received are managed by saidterminal.

Consequently, the two PDP Contexts providing access to the twocommunications networks are linked via said terminal. In thisconfiguration, the two communications networks are no longerindependent, since a physical connection between them has been set upvia said terminal.

Addressing problems in the case of identical addresses assigned fordifferent networks and confidentiality, security, and piracy problemsare then encountered in relation to the information transmitted by theservices provided by the various communications networks. These problemsare particularly sensitive when using a banking service, for example, orwhen accessing a private company intranet via a communications network.

Thus the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is thatof providing a system and a method of managing on a terminal at leastone architecture dedicated to a communications network that remedy thedrawbacks of existing systems by reorganizing the terminal structure insuch a way as to avoid any link between the connections to a pluralityof communications networks.

The solution in accordance with the present invention to the technicalproblem as stated consists in that, connections to said communicationsnetwork being set up via a mobile network, said system comprises atleast one dedicated architecture manager integrated into said terminal,adapted to manage independently at least one architecture dedicated to acommunications network, and adapted to process simultaneously theoperation of said terminal when connected to a plurality of saidcommunications networks.

On setting up the connection to a communications network, the dedicatedarchitecture manager dialogues with said communications network. Saiddedicated architecture manager designates an architecture that isdedicated to the connection to said communications network.

On setting up each new connection to a new communications network, thededicated architecture manager designates a different architecture to bededicated to the connection to said new communications network.

In the same terminal, the various dedicated architectures, eachproviding access to a different communications network, functionsimultaneously.

According to the invention, each of said architectures dedicated to acommunications network comprises at least one network interface whoseparameters are set by an address for identifying said terminal in saidcommunications network that is sent by said dedicated architecturemanager and comes from said communications networks.

Each network interface is included in a different dedicatedarchitecture. There is therefore no longer any relation between the PDPcontexts that have been set up to the various communications networks.

Each communications network communicates with a dedicated architectureof said terminal via a separate network interface. The address sent byeach of the communications networks is received by said dedicatedarchitecture manager and its parameters are set at a network interface.A network interface of a dedicated architecture does not relate to anyother network interface of any other dedicated architecture.

According to the invention, each architecture dedicated to acommunications network is independent of the other dedicatedarchitectures of said terminal.

Despite the simultaneous operation of a plurality of dedicatedarchitectures on the same terminal, there is no link between the variouscommunications networks. The structure of the terminal is such that saiddedicated architectures are not related to each other. They operateseparately and autonomously.

Because of this, by virtue of the various dedicated architectures, saidterminal may operate differently according to the communications networkto which it is connected. For example, functions may be handled by onecommunications network that do not exist on another communicationsnetwork.

Moreover, because of the increase in the number of services accessiblevia communications networks, the autonomy of each dedicated architecturein particular enables specific resources to be assigned that differ fromone communications network to another, for example specificapplications, a different memory space, or different qualities ofservice.

According to the invention, said user interface of the terminal providesaccess to at least one architecture dedicated to one communicationsnetwork.

The user interface of said terminal, for example a display, audio means,voice signal transmission means or a Braille reader, provides access tothe services corresponding to a communications network. Given thedifferent architectures that are dedicated to different communicationsnetworks, a plurality of services may be used simultaneously on saidterminal.

The invention further consists in a method of managing on a terminal atleast one architecture dedicated to a communications network, saidterminal including at least one user interface, which method ischaracterized in that, connections to said communications networks beingset up via a mobile network, said method includes the steps of: settingup a connection between said terminal and at least one communicationsnetwork via said mobile network in at least one dedicated architecturemanager, receiving at least one address coming from said communicationsnetwork connected to said terminal in said dedicated architecturemanager of said terminal, said dedicated architecture manager in saidterminal selecting a dedicated architecture for said communicationsnetwork, sending said address to said dedicated architecture selected bysaid dedicated architecture manager, setting parameters of said addressat a network interface in said architecture dedicated to saidcommunications network, accessing at least one dedicated architecturevia said user interface of said terminal, setting up by means of saiddedicated architecture manager at least one simultaneous connection to aplurality of communications networks, processing the simultaneousmanagement of a plurality of communications networks connected to saidterminal.

The various steps of the method according to the invention are repeatedeach time said terminal is connected to a new communications network.

Said dedicated architecture manager manages each connection to acommunications network.

It assigns a dedicated architecture to each of said communicationsnetworks, which makes it possible to use different and independentmanagement methods at the same time.

The following description with reference to the appended drawing, whichis provided by way of non-limiting example, explains in what theinvention consists and how it may be put into practice.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of the general architecture of a system according tothe invention, as implemented on a terminal, for managing anarchitecture dedicated to a communications network.

To facilitate an understanding of the invention, it is described usingUMTS terminology. However, the invention applies to all communicationsystems using identical techniques to identify a communications network.

Similarly, to simplify the description, the mobile telecommunicationsnetwork subscriber is indicated as a terminal 10, but may be of variouskinds, for example a server or a mobile communication terminal, apersonal computer (PC) or a television, and takes the form of a userequipment (UE) 10 in FIG. 1.

Whatever type of terminal 10 is used, it is connected to a public mobilenetwork to which the user is a subscriber.

If the terminal 10 wishes to access a first communications network 40,41, 42 offering a set of services which said terminal 10 wishes toaccess, it transmits an APN identifying said communications network 40,41, 42 via a radio station of the mobile network.

In said mobile network, an SGSN receives said APN from said terminal 10and determines which GGSN manages said APN.

The SGSN sends the APN to an APN server to which it is connected andwhich holds a table of correspondences between APN and GGSN, and selectsa GGSN 30 which manages said APN.

Said GGSN 30 sets up the connection to said first communications network40, 41, 42. A first PDP Context is set up to said first communicationsnetwork 40, 41, 42 through the mobile network. This first PDP Contextenables the terminal 10 to access the first communications network 40,41, 42.

As a function of the mobile network, for GPRS or UMTS technologies, if auser accesses a plurality of services in the same communicationsnetwork, a plurality of simultaneous calls to said communicationsnetwork, known as secondary PDP Contexts, are set up.

In this case, the various secondary PDP Contexts are associated with thesame primary PDP Context, which operates in exactly the same way asdescribed hereinabove for a PDP Context, which is the term used in theremainder of the description.

Said first communications network 40, 41, 42 then sends the terminal 10an address Al which identifies said terminal 10 for said firstcommunications network connected.

The dedicated architecture manager 24 in said terminal 10 receives saidaddress Al, assigns a first dedicated architecture 15 to said firstcommunications network 40, 41, 42 connected, and sends the address Al toa first network interface 20 in said first architecture 15 dedicated tosaid first communications network 40, 41, 42 connected.

Said first dedicated architecture 15 is associated with said first PDPcontext, which enables access from said terminal 10 to said firstcommunications network 40, 41, 42.

When said terminal 10 wishes to access a second communications network50, 51, 52, it transmits a second APN and the same connection process isrepeated via the equipments referred to above (the SGSN and the GGSN30).

A new connection is set up between said terminal 10 and a secondcommunications network 50, 51, 52. Consequently, a second PDP Context isset up via said mobile network to said second communications network 50,51, 52.

A new address A2 that identifies said terminal 10 for said secondcommunications network 50, 51, 52 is sent to the terminal 10.

In said terminal 10, said dedicated architecture manager 24 receives thenew address A2. It assigns a second architecture 16 to said secondcommunications network 50, 51, 52 connected and sends the address A2 toa second network interface 21 in said second architecture 16 dedicatedto said second communications network connected.

From this point onwards, said second dedicated architecture 16 isassociated with said second PDP Context, which enables access from saidterminal 10 to said second communications network 50, 51, 52.

Thus, in said terminal 10, an independent architecture 15, 16, 17, 18 isdedicated to each communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 to whichsaid terminal 10 is connected. The parameters of each address receivedfrom a different communications network are therefore set at a differentnetwork interface 20, 21, 22, 23 in an architecture 15, 16, 17, 18dedicated to a communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

In the same way, each network interface 20, 21, 22, 23 is identified byonly one address to guarantee that the data transmitted between acommunications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 and said terminal 10reaches the correct destination.

According to the technologies of the communications networks, and inconformance with the standard, the address sent may have variousformats, for example an Internet Protocol (IP) version 4 or version 6address. These formats and versions are standardized by the InternetEngineering Task Force (IETF).

Whatever the format, the addressing version or type, for examplepoint-to-point protocol (PPP) addressing or any other type of addressingthat may be developed in the future, the transmission of the addressbetween a communications network and said terminal 10 remains the same.The architecture of said terminal 10 facilitates adaptation to thevarious generations.

With this structure, for a terminal 10, each dedicated architecture andits network interface are independent of each of the dedicatedarchitectures 15, 16, 17, 18 of said terminal 10.

Each architecture 15, 16, 17, 18 dedicated to a communications network40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 receives all the information coming from saidcommunications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52 associated with saiddedicated architecture 15, 16, 17, 18 via the PDP context correspondingto said communications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

Once the connection has been set up, the dedicated architecture accessesthe user interface 11 of said terminal 10. Thus the subscriber accessesat least one service content of a first communications network 40, 41,42, for example a home page 12.

If the subscriber selects on said terminal 10 access to a secondcommunications network 50, 51, 52, the content corresponding to a newservice 13 provided by said second communications network 50, 51, 52,for example a new home page 13, is accessible via said user interface11.

Depending on the capabilities of the operating system of said terminal10, a plurality of windows may be displayed offering the various homepages 12, 13, 14 of the various communications networks, or the user mayswitch from one home page to another using a selection device such as abutton or a touch-sensitive control on said terminal 10.

If the communications network does not require the display of thecontent on said terminal 10, the content from said communicationsnetwork may be represented by any other means provided by the userinterface 11 of said terminal 10, such as by means of a voice messagereproduced by audio means.

Each dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17, 18 controls access to existingmeans of said terminal 10 allowing use of the services of acommunications network, for example a picture or video player, a browserfor surfing the World Wide Web, etc.

The system and method of the invention provide for separate andautonomous management of a plurality of connections to a communicationsnetwork in the same terminal 10 via said dedicated architecture manager24.

A PDP Context is associated with only one communications network, whichsends only one address to a single network interface to identify saidterminal 10.

In this way, each network interface is associated with only one addresscoming from a communications network. In a communications network, agiven address is sent to only one network interface.

This principle of unique addressing between a network and a networkinterface enables the error-free transmission of data to the correctdestination, from said terminal 10 to a communications network 40, 41,42, 50, 51, 52 and vice-versa.

The autonomy and independent operation of the various dedicatedarchitectures 15, 16, 17, 18 on said terminal 10 guarantee compliancewith the principle of unique addressing when accessing a plurality ofcommunications networks 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

Each communications network is independent and has its own addressingscheme. Consequently, two communications networks may transmit the sameaddress to the terminal 10.

No violation of the principle of unique addressing occurs when thearchitecture of said terminal 10 conforms to the invention, because thetwo independent network interfaces that receive the two identicaladdresses are connected to two different communications networks, whichremain independent. Each architecture is autonomous and dedicated to adifferent communications network.

In this case, the same addressing scheme may be used by more than onecommunications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52. Unique addressing ispreserved in said terminal 10. This is one way to solve the problem of alack of available addresses, for example on Internet Protocol (IP)networks.

Even if the addressing scheme is not exactly the same for two differentcommunications networks, independent management of the dedicatedarchitectures 15, 16, 17, 18 ensures confidentiality and securitybetween said communications networks 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52. Therequirement for confidentiality and security applies to a bankingtransaction or a connection to a private business network, for example.

Each PDP context is managed by a different dedicated architectureunrelated to the other architectures 15, 16, 17, 18 dedicated to acommunications network 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52.

Because of the separate management of the communications networks 40,41, 42, 50, 51, 52 by the dedicated architectures 15, 16, 17, 18, thisstructure provides a seal between the various services connected to saidterminal 10 and prevents pirating of information transmitted by aservice of a first communications network from a second communicationsnetwork, for example a network connected to the Internet.

Moreover, the independent processing of each communications network 40,41, 42, 50, 51, 52 by a different dedicated architecture 15, 16, 17, 18in the same terminal improves the adaptation to each communicationsnetwork.

Different qualities of service could be managed simultaneously on thesame terminal 10. For example, a first network might have goodtransmission quality and a second network a lower transmission quality.A third network might have a high error rate.

All functions and evolutions of the communications networks may also bemanaged independently by each of the architectures 15, 16, 17, 18 on thesame terminal 10 dedicated to a communications network 40, 41, 42, 50,51, 52.

1. A system for managing a set of architectures (15, 16, 17, 18) of aterminal (10) dedicated to a Plurality of communications networks (40,41, 42, 50, 51, 52), said terminal (10) including at least one userinterface (11), which system is characterized in that, connections tosaid communications networks being set up via a mobile network, saidsystem comprises at least one dedicated architecture manager (24)integrated into said terminal (10), adapted to manage independently allof said architectures dedicated to a said communications networks (40,41, 42, 50, 51, 52), adapted to process simultaneously the operation ofsaid terminal (10) when connected to a plurality of said communicationsnetworks, adapted to manage separately simultaneous connections with aplurality of said communications networks, and adapted to manageindependently a plurality of said communications networks afterreceiving a non-unique address from each of said networks connected tothe terminal (10).
 2. A system according to claim 1 for managing a setof dedicated architectures (15, 16, 17, 18) of a terminal (10),characterized in that each of said architectures (15, 16, 17, 18)dedicated to one of said communications networks (40, 41, 42, 50, 51,52) comprises at least one network interface (20, 21, 22, 23) whoseparameters are set by an address for identifying said terminal (10) insaid communications networks (40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52) that is sent bysaid dedicated architecture manager and comes from said communicationsnetworks (40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52).
 3. A system according to claim 1 ormanaging a set of dedicated architectures (15, 16, 17, 18) of a terminal(10), characterized in that each of said architectures (15, 16, 17, 18)dedicated to one of said communications networks (40, 41, 42, 50, 51,52) is independent of the other dedicated architectures (15, 16, 17, 18)of said terminal (10).
 4. A system according to claim 1 for managing ata set of dedicated architectures (15, 16, 17, 18) of a terminal (10),characterized in that said user interface (11) of the terminal (10)provides access to at least one architecture (15, 16, 17, 18) dedicatedto one of said communications networks (40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52).
 5. Adedicated architecture manager (24) in a terminal (10) associated with adedicated architecture management system according to claim 1, whichmanager is characterized in that it comprises at least transceiver meansfor communicating with at least one of said communications networks (40,41, 42, 50, 51, 52), processing means for managing simultaneous accessto said plurality of communications networks by said terminal (10),means for selecting an architecture (15, 16, 17, 18) dedicated to one ofsaid communications networks, and transmission means with at least onededicated architecture of said terminal (10).
 6. A method of managing ona terminal (10) a set of dedicated architectures (15, 16, 17, 18)dedicated to the plurality of communications networks (40, 41, 42, 50,51, 52), said terminal (10) including at least one user interface (11),which method is characterized in that, connections to saidcommunications networks being set up via a mobile network, said methodincludes the steps of: setting up a connection between said terminal(10) and the plurality of communications networks via said mobilenetwork in at least one dedicated architecture manager (24), receivingat least one address coming from each of said communications networksconnected to said terminal in said dedicated architecture manager (24)of said terminal (10), said dedicated architecture manager (24) in saidterminal (10) selecting a dedicated architecture for each of saidcommunications networks, sending said address to said dedicatedarchitecture selected by said dedicated architecture manager (24),setting parameters of said address at a network interface (20, 21, 22,23) in said architectures dedicated to said communications networks,accessing at least one dedicated architecture via said user interface(11 ) of said terminal (10), setting up and managing separately by meansof said dedicated architecture manager (24) at least one simultaneousconnection to said plurality of communications networks, processing theindependent management of all said architectures (15. 16
 17. 18)dedicated to said communications networks, processing the simultaneousmanagement of a plurality of communications networks connected to saidterminal (10) and. independently managing a plurality of saidcommunications networks after receiving a non-unique address from eachof said networks connection to said terminal.